Blaze Fire
by thatdragonwiththetophat.com
Summary: Paul visits ruins devoted to Dialga and Palkia in order to speak to Arceus about Ash's Infernape.


_**This oneshot is based upon Paul's cameo during the credits to "Zoroark: Master of Illusions." Also, the amulet first debuted in**_ ** _"Hoopa and the Clash of Ages."_  
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The Sun set over the ruins of Time and Space, casting an orange glow upon the area. The grand statues of Dialga and Palkia towered above the ruins, framed epically by the evening sky, the orange-red Sun sinking between them.

Before the setting Sun, and beneath the two imposing statues, stood a Pokemon trainer clad in a purple jacket and grey pants. The two colors combined would form a hue similar to that of his longish hair. He looked out towards the sunset with cold dark eyes, but hiding behind his cold gaze was a look of deep seated, troubled concern.

Turning to gaze at each of the two statues in turn, the Pokemon trainer then reached down behind the shirt he wore beneath his jacket. He then pulled out a very special piece of golden jewelry. It was an amulet representative of the highest of all Legendary Pokemon, Arceus. It was a golden cross-like wheel, identical to the one attached to the Pokemon's body by its round abdomen.

With the chord of the amulet still around his neck, Paul stared down into its very center, a cold frown still plastered across his face as his frustrated and displeased disposition still persisted in him.

"Creator, Arceus," Paul muttered to the amulet, "You know I am a skilled trainer. Of my work ethic you know I'm proud."

Paul held the amulet tightly in his hand as he hardened his gaze at it, "Creator, Arceus. You know I'm so much stronger than the namby-pamby, weak, placating crowd."

Paul let go of the amulet and stood staring into the sunset, "Then tell me, Arceus. Why I see him standing there? Why his ardent Blaze scorches my soul?"

Sweat began to bead on his forehead and neck, and Paul could feel it. His pupils began to dilate as his breathing began to quicken. He spoke between gasping breaths, becoming more and more unhinged with every word, "I feel him . . . I see him . . . the fire that makes up his hair . . . is blazing in me out of all control."

Then, in the blink of an eye, something seemed to break within Paul, and he fell to his knees, his eyes widened in utter disbelief as he voiced his realization, "Like fire . . . Blaze fire . . . this fire in my brain. . ."

Paul took out an empty Pokeball, one that had once held a Pokemon, one that he had felt the vague desire to keep for so long. He began to speak to it, still partially in shock, "This burning . . . desire . . . is driving me insane."

Then the statues of Dialga and Palkia turned their massive heads to him. Their eyes began to glow, and they projected judgement upon the trainer before them.

Paul looked back up at the statues defiantly and shouted at them, "It's not my fault! I'm not to blame! It was that Kanto boy, he went and stole _my_ flame!"

The statues had now moved, and they now stood directly over him, and on either side of him, still staring down at him.

"It's not my fault!" Paul shouted, quickly getting up on his feet and whirling around as if to look at both of the Legendaries at once, "If in his plan. . . Arceus made Pokemon so much stronger than man!"

In the very next second, the statues were once again in the normal place, as if they had never moved. However, Paul was kept from noticing this as the Sun took on a fiery red hue. Paul turned vehemently to the sunset and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Protect me, Arceus! Don't let this monster cast his spell! Don't let his fire sear my flesh and bone!"

Paul raised the Pokeball and roared, "Destroy that Infernape! And let him taste the fires of hell! Or else let him be _mine_ and _mine **alone**_!"

Paul lowered his arm and stared at the Pokeball and said, "Blaze fire. . . Dark fire. . . Infernape, it's your turn. . . Ash or Paul. . . It's your choice. . . Choose _me_ or you will _**BURN**_!"

Paul flung the empty Pokeball out into the distance with all his might, and quietly watched it fall into the distance.

"Arceus have mercy on him," he said emotionlessly, "Arceus have mercy on _me."_

Paul turned around and started to walk away from the ruins, saying as he did so, "But he will be mine or he. . . will . . . _**BURN!"**_

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 _Yes, it's Hellfire from Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."_


End file.
